Coalition, Partner Forces Look to Deal Final Blow to ISIS in Syria

Coalition and partner forces are focused on eliminating the remaining Islamic State of Iraq and Syria terrorists in Syria, a top official at Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve said today.

“The coalition will relentlessly pursue ISIS wherever they are until they are defeated,” Maj. Gen. Felix Gedney of the British army, the task force’s deputy commander for strategy and support, told Pentagon reporters in a video briefing from Baghdad.

The Syrian Democratic Forces announced May 1 their renewed push to defeat ISIS, he said. The coalition has since conducted 40 strikes against eight ISIS-held buildings, six logistical assets, two explosive factories and two weapons caches, he added.

“This increased defensive action to destroy ISIS marks the beginning of Operation Roundup,” he said. That is the coalition name for the operations “to destroy ISIS in the final areas where they hold ground east of the Euphrates River and liberate the last of their fake caliphate,” he explained.

The global coalition of 71 nations and four international organizations remains “absolutely committed to the defeat of ISIS,” he said.

“As Operation Roundup progresses, the coalition will continue to support the Syrian Democratic Forces, compacting what’s left of ISIS in Syria…